If you have 50 or so pounds to lose, jump on in and join us! You'll be sure to get a warm welcome.

Beth, welcome home! I know what you mean; I love to travel too, but it's sure great to be back home. Sounds like you had a wonderful time on your trip; way to go, journalling everything! I'm so glad that y'all like your future dil so much. Someone once told me that when we marry, we are marrying not just a person but, in a way, his/her whole family. Tell us more about the presentations you'll be doing in August at your school? Re: my classes, I'll be teaching multimedia and web mastering again. Haven't taught for 3 years (had an office job, tech. director) so I'm working on my software skills. Really looking forward to working with the kids again!

Texaslady, congrats on your new job! Sounds like there are many benefits to this change, too; avoiding the Katy Freeway rush hour has to rate way up there! I can't believe they still haven't filled in that hole; hope they come soon and get that done for you. Is your new job a little closer to where you live?

Linda, how's your dh doing? Mine is still journalling, thank heavens, and by the home scale has lost 2 pounds; sure hope that encourages him to keep on.

Am heading up to San Antonio in a little while, hopefully to get these darn drains removed and then to go to a WW mtg; according to my home scale, I should be below goal, so hope to get that little star or whatever and start my 6 wks of maintenance. (I've kinda been doing maintenance all this year anyway so hopefully that won't be too hard!) Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Hi to Carol, JOYce, Linda, Janet, Saara, Patti, and Rebecca; hope you're having a great week!
Regards,
Jan

Regards,
Jan

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted for a day or two-things seem to stay pretty hectic lately. I'm so tired all the time- probably just from stress.
My biggest news is that my dd found out the other day that she is pregnant! She's due about mid March. She's had early pregnancy problems in the past, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that all goes smoothly! My little sweetie will be about 2 years 3 months of age when the baby arrives- wonder how he'll take to competition ?
The other thing that's going on right now (in addition to my going banans trying to pack stuff) is that I have my 2nd opinion tomorrow. They are sending me to Baltimore, and my appointment is at 8 AM , so I'll have to leave here by 6. No problem except for rush hour traffic- I'm definitely a morning person!
Jan, how nice of your neighbor to make you those 1 point muffins! If yu get the recipe, pass it along!Were you able to get your drains out and get to the WW meetin? I just know you're at goal!!
Beth, I'm glad you had a good time, and kept journalling in spite of a few "dietary indiscretions" ! Good luck at your weigh in!
Texaslady, it sounds as if you are enjoying the new job so far! I'm glad things went well on your first day! You'll probably be dopping weight like crazy!
Linda, Aren't plateaus the worst? I've been stuck on mine forever, it seems! I'll bet your increased exercise will help!

Oh- "Food for thought"- did you all know that a slice of Cheesecake Factory's carrot cake contains 1560 calories & 84 grams of fat?!? OMIGOSH!!!

Well, I'd better go do something productive for a while, A friend and I are going out to dinner later (which I don't have time to do, nor do I need the points, but...). Hi to everyone I missed, and y'all have a good evening!
Carol

CAROLWHAT FUN THAT WILL BE!! We'll keep your dd's condition in our thoughts and prayers, hoping and praying that all goes well. how nice for her that you will be living there to help out with little sweetie! he'll be glad you are thre too!
We'll be thinking about you in the morning, praying it is a good opinion!...I like early morning appts.! get up and get it over with! I hate waiting!!
JAN, is it time for the happy dance?? Hope those drains are gone!
i discovered a new Garden shop this morning! what fun, a new garden project will kepp me busy!
I almost have all the dolls out of the living room! dh will paint this week end, I hope.
12 yr old dgd will arrive next Tuesday for a month long visit, hopefully , she will help me dust and replace the dolls. {I figure I can bribe her with some new school clothes} Her cousins that live with me will be working all the time she is here, so will need to do things with me. We'll have fun!
Gotta go!
~~~~~

JOYce

Hi all...

I feel SO down in the dumps - I totally fell off program for a couple weeks and gained 6.7 pounds - Ugh.... Why is that we can gain it so fast but lose it SO slow... So I have decided to combine ww with this diet I found on weekly woman - it gives me the meals written right out and figure it will give me a better structured menu. I think I can stick to it better. My birthday is Saturday so I want to be super good til then so I can drink some by the way do any of you have hard drinks that are low in points - not a beer drinker so....


Talk to you soon.

Merri24

Hi Merri.. Sorry you are feeling low...but I've been there, done that,and understand. Stick with the basic plan{combined with the one from women's weekly,} and you can do it! Drink ypur water, walk a little more than usual.
I have a similar incentive this weekend...sunday is our 45th wedding anniversary! We are going to a Dinner theatre to see a play"Forever Plaid" . I have no idea what the menu is, it is a gathering that was planned by friends, and it just happens to be our annniv, so I figured it would be a fun way to celebrate.

Wishing you much success!
~~~
JOYce

OK, guys, time for the happy dance ... I did it! Made goal with 4 more pounds to spare! Am officially now on maintenance, heading towards lifetime. (And I intend to actually do the lifetime thing, too; this is for keeps.) Oh, and also got the darn tubes & drains out, so I feel like I'm part of the human race again.

Carol, a new grandbaby on the way! How exciting! And how wonderful that you will be there, helping out with your little darlin'. (You know, somewhere I read that two years is an ideal "spacing" for siblings; I'll bet he'll be thrilled to have a little brother or sister!) And I'm so glad you finally got the ok for that second opinion; please keep us posted on how your appt. turns out tomorrow.

JOYce, sounds like you have all kinds of projects planned! Glad your dgd will be there to help with the dolls and such. What garden project are you doing? I love all the cool garden "stuff" in the stores now, like sculptures, fountains, birdbaths, and wind toys. I saw a neat fountain in California with three shovels (just the metal parts) over a wooden tub; the water cascades down each shovel. DH promised he'd weld one for me one of these days!

Merri, I'm sorry you've been having problems w/program lately. You haven't gained that much, though, and you're stopping in time and turning it all around with your new program. I know you can do it! Re: birthday libations, if you like wine, how about a wine cooler? (wine + club soda + lime +fruit juice). Or a mimosa, champagne with OJ, a really festive drink; use a pretty crystal champagne glass. Really stretches the wine, which is 3 pts for 8 oz. If you opt for mixed drinks, avoid the sugary or creamy ones like pina colada and margarita, or those that have several kinds of booze (like Black Russians). Esp. avoid liqueurs! Instead, maybe try a whiskey and soda, with 1/2 jigger to a large glass of soda, goes really far and helps you get in your water, too. (Any hard liquor is 2 pts per jigger.) You also could try having a glass of water or diet soda in between each drink. (Can you tell this has been one of my battles? Have had to develop lots of strategies to get past it.)

Hi to everyone; hope you're having a great week!
Regards,
Jan

Good Morning Ladies!

Well, today is my weigh-in. I am not expecting much - just hoping there isn't a major gain. Since vacation I have been having a hard time getting back on track. I want to "pick" all day and end up going over points.

Jan - Congratulations on making goal! Your getting there gives me the incentive to make it, too. I am determined to do it this time!!!! What grade level do you teach computer skill? I teach 4th/5th special ed. My kids are learning disabled and have trouble with reading and math. The Share Fair presentations that we do are geared towards elementary/middle school level. I will be doing a math presentation on teaching multiplication and a language arts presentation called Making Words. Teachers present ideas that they have been using in their own classrooms. It is a fun day with about 500 teachers attending from all over the New Orleans area. It is also a fund raiser for our school. It allows funds for our teachers to attend workshops, etc. during the year.

Merri - Sorry you are having such a rough time and have gained. Don't give up! Just keep working at getting yourself back on track. I journal EVERYTHING - even when I have had very bad eating days. It shows me just how many points I am consuming when I am acting like "my old self". It is easy to do 60 or more points a day when you are not following a program or structure of some sort. That's why we can gain it back so easily! Have a great time for your birthday but go easy on the drinks. I agree with Jan - drink a glass of water between drinks.

JOYce - Happy Anniversary! 45 years! WOW! DH and I have been married 27 years. Have a great time on your night out.

Carol - You are in my thoughts and prayers this morning. Hope all goes well with your appointment. How soon will you know the results? How exciting that your dd is expecting another "sweetie"! My sons are 2 years 4 months apart.

Hi to everyone else. Have a great OP day!

Beth

You are so wise to see it as a lifestyle change!
Must make it lots easier to have dh doing it too.
Regarding my garden project...I have a plot that is about 25' sq, that makes up half of our back yard planting area... the other half is veggies. The new half will be flowering shrubs and seasonal flowers..going for mostly purples, but have to have Calif poppies , so will have some golds etc, as well!
I will divide it into 4 corner quarter cirle areas with a center circle that will have a gazing ball. dh has requested a bench on the back side, which is fine with me. {that is near our aviary where we have a cockatiel , Charlie, who whistles Happy birthday. and parakeets.} I want to include one of those animal topiary things. I saw a butterfly yesterday that was nice, I've considered a fish, in honor of dh's love for that, but also remember one of an angel that I saw one time, but have never seen since. The butterfly will probably win, because of the price of larger ones!

well, I have started a batch of Bread and butter pickles this morning, so need to go see what is next in that process!

Hi to all!
have good OP days!
Anxious to hear from Carol today.
~~~~~~~

JOYce

OOPS, forgot to brag about the veggie part! we have tomatoes , crookneck squash, bell peppers and cucumbers, all doing welll, and contributing to my menus! We had 6 peaches off our early tree, and have oodles on the other one that won't be ready for a while. anticipation!!

Hi JOYce! I too am anxious to hear from Carol; hope she has some good news from her appt. this morning. Your garden plans sound fantastic! I can just picture it. And I envy you all the fresh veggies in your garden now; ours is in summer "oven" mode, meaning we're just trying to keep things alive until fall so they can produce again. (Many of the plants just have to be taken out, and new ones planted in the fall, which is our best garden season.)

Beth, I hope your WI went well today. I think you are very wise to keep your journal, even on days when you might go over points. The psychology of journalling (if I'm putting that right ...) is so important, probably even more so than the WW tools like anchoring, etc. I think they did a study that showed it was the most crucial factor separating those who were successful from those who were not. Re: your presentations, they sound very interesting! You must be a Master Teacher, to be asked to give two prez's in different areas like that! You mentioned y'all were raising $ to attend conferences during the year; are you planning to go to one? I went to a Tel-Ed conf. in New Orleans a few years back, and it was fantastic; the Louisiana teachers who co-hosted it went all out to make it special. (There's nothing that compares to Louisiana hospitality!) I visited several area schools, too, and was so impressed with all they were doing with technology. (That's my field; my classes will be high school next year, but have worked with K-12 over the years, including special ed & adaptive/assistive technology.) I really admire you for working with special ed; the most dedicated and expert teachers I have known are in that field.

Linda, a breakthrough w/dh: we have been keeping our journals side-by-side on the kitchen counter, so he could check mine for points values when filling his out. A few times, he asked me to write stuff in his journal. Well, this afternoon, in *my* journal, I noticed he wrote in the points for the half banana we'd shared, as well as in his journal. Isn't that great?! He's taking this seriously now!

Gotta run; hope everyone is having a good Wednesday!
Regards,
Jan

Happy Thursday everyone! We are scheduled to have an absolutely beautiful day here! Blue skies, low humidity, temps in the low 80's. Too bad to have to spend it working 11 hours and then packing boxes!
My consult when well, but I won't have a final word for a few days. The doctor kept my films to go over with the radiologist there (who specializes in breast oncology). He'll call me when he's met with her. I liked him a lot, and he answered a lot of questions I had, and suggested several possible options if the biobsy doesn't need to be done now. He was worth the hour and a half rush hour drive in unfamiliar territory! This is the only thing they do, so I'll feel comfortable with whatever they decide should be done.
Joyce, how nice that your 12 year old dgd will be visiting! I bet she'll have a ball! I didn't realize you have an aviary! I grew up with an assortment of parakeets, and had a cockateil for several years (till he got so noisy I was afraid he'd get me eveicted and I gave him to a coworker who had several of them. Congratulations on your upcoming 45th anniversary!! I haven't been to a dinner theatre in years, but they are such fun!!!
Merri, don't let your weight gain get you down! Just get yourself right back on track! Do you ever go to http://www.dottisweightlosszone.com? She has an area with lots of motivational stuff that's helped me at times! Hang in there, girl! This too shall pass!
Jan Hooray!!!! I'm so proud of you! You are such an inspiration to all of us!! And give dh my congrats for doing the journal and the point counting! How are you feeling now that your tubes are out? Don't overdo!!!
Beth, good luck on your weigh in- it is so hard to get on track after a vacation!!! How did your older son take to the new baby when he arrived?

My son-in-law and a relative of his came buy and moved most of my living room furniture (except} for my tv and the entertainment unit it sits on, and the chair I sit in to watch it. So now both mt living room and dining room are a large empty. I have so much stuff to do and pack up in the next 2 weeks! I can't do much at one time due to the back thing and it's limitations- what a pain!! This is all so stressful- not to mention the fact that this apartment has been my home for 6 years, and I love the place, and the loss of personal space and independence that goes with this move. But it'll be fun to be with my little sweetie (who cries whenever I leave him) and see him every day.
Well, time's getting away from me- gotta run and get ready for work. Have a good op day, everyone.
Carol

CONGRATULATIONS, JAN! HERE'S THE HAPPY DANCE FOR YOU! I am SO PROUD of you and I know that you and your dh are proud of you too - and well should be! FOUR pounds to spare - hmmmmm, now exactly WHO was your doctor????? (though I doubt I could lose 40 pounds with an operation - unless they removed a lot more than he did for you :wink:. Glad you are feeling better, but don't overdo.

Carol - I am still sending up those prayers for you. I have all fingers and toes crossed as well. Let us know as soon as you hear something. I am glad you have confidence in this doctor - that always helps so much. And a new grandbaby to boot! Wow! I leave here for a few days and all this excitement happens! Congrats to your dd and her dh - and to you, too! Boy, this is going to make it a LOT HARDER to move to Florida! With your furniture gone, I bet the place "echos".........

Merri - I am so sorry that you fell off the WW wagon. But you do realize that by acknowledging that fact and getting going again is a sure sign of behavior change. I bet there was a time when you didn't correct past mistakes but rather just kept on making them. This weight loss journey is so difficult. You just keep putting one foot in front of another and you will succeed! You have already succeeded at changing some of your behavior!

Joyce - Your gardening sounds like fun. It's so hot there, I don't see how you can get out and do anything like that. If I HAVE to pull weeds out of the flowerbeds, I do it just at daylight on the week-ends. Otherwise its just too darn hot already. Like Jan says, we are in our garden "oven baking" mode right now. Its a miracle anything survives.

Beth - I know you enjoyed your time with your son & his fiancee. I can't imagine my life without my dd and hers. Guess I am overly involved - but can't help it! I try to give them some space as they don't always have a lot of time together because of his work schedule. When he's working afternoons or nights, my dd and I find lots to do to keep busy. Can't believe school activities are starting up so soon again. The kids here start mid-August. Seems like they just got out!!!! What has happened to this summer?

The telephone company finally filled up the giant hole in the backyard. But they didn't come til yesterday - I had to call Monday afternoon and fuss at them. My grass looks awful for about 6 feet around the hole. I watered last night but it will take a while for it to recover, I'm sure!

The job is great so far. I am still so busy trying to learn so many new things. The woman who is training me just flies through these tasks and I am going wait, wait, wait, WAIT!!!!! Explain that again!! Yesterday was my birthday. My friends from my former office called and left a message for me on my answering machine and also send me such a sweet card. Gosh, I really do miss them - but I don't miss the job. My commute is about the same but an entirely new direction - same miles and same amount of time on the road. But leaving at 4 is great! I can actually get home about 4:45 most days - at least so far. I take the beltway in the mornings and afternoons and I move a lot faster there. Too bad there's not an exit off the beltway right to my door! It takes me 20 mins after exiting the darn thing to get to the driveway. Speaking of the commute, time for me to get out the door. Have a great Thursday everyone - Wow, can it be Thursday already!

Too cute! texaslady! I love your happy dance!! very creative!
Belated bday greetings, hope it was a special day for you! It must have been strange in a new office. so nice that your friends from the old office came thru with remembrances!

Carol, I'm glad you had a good experience at the doctor's.. it is so good to really like a doctor... sounds like they are being very thorough....I continue to wait with you, and pray that all will be well.
Your living room sounds like mine... dh has helped move all the furniture out except for the t.v. and the sofa he sits on to watch it. My dolls and rest of furniture is stacked in family room and dining room...NO ENTERTAINING for a while! He will start painting tonight...but will be another week or more before I get the new carpet.

I made bread and butter pickles yesterday with my abundance of cucumbers, they look really pretty in the jars.

Confession time... dh does most of the gardening, although I hope to make this new flower part, my project.

I must run! today is Meals on Wheels day!! Linda will be picking me up in a hour, and I am still in my nightgown!!
have a great day..more later!!
~~~~~~~

JOYce

Carol, I'm so glad you found such a good doctor for your second opinion; sounds like the radiologist is also expert in this area, too. Please be sure to let us know when they have some news for you! How great that your sil took care of moving all the furniture for you; don't overdo, now, on packing the boxes! Wish we could all be up there with you to help.

Texaslady, how wonderful that your new job is working out so well! That was very sweet of your former colleagues to send you the card. (And Happy Birthday, belatedly!) Thanks so much for the "happy dance," that was cute! And yes, this may have been the hard way to lose those last pounds, but I'll take it any way I can! As my doctors both told me, no amount of dieting would ever have helped reduce that area. I'm just glad that when time came for this, I'd lost most of my weight and gotten in shape; it's hard enough recuperating as it is, but I just can't imagine how hard it would have been 105 pounds ago!

JOYce, I envy you, getting a new paint job and new carpet in your living room! Will you have a party to celebrate after you've moved back into the room? You are the busiest person I know, wow, remodeling, making pickles, planning your garden, and doing all that volunteer work!

Things are pretty quiet here; I'm doing what I do best, goofing off -- just relaxing and doing a little computer stuff. Poor dh has been working like crazy, reorganizing Dad's "chapel" for him; Janet, Carol, and Texaslady, you wouldn't recognize the room, it's so spacious and neat! Dad will have to give up on that joke now, I'm afraid! (To our newer members: when Janet, Texaslady and Carol visited here last March, Dad showed them in through his garage office, and told them he called it his chapel because whenever someone walked in there, they said "Oh my gawd!") Dh also reorganized the pantry/washroom and Dad's bedroom; Dad will be so pleased when we bring him home tomorrow night!

Hi to Janet, Beth, Saara, Rebecca, Patti, & Merri; hope all is well!
Regards,
Jan

maybe!
Maybe I will wait til September after dh goes on his next long range fish trip, we'll have a fish dinner! I'll need that long to get things back in order! I HAVE to have dh take pix of the rooms where everything is stored now. you wouldn't believe!
I love your chapel remark...I get the same reaction when people first see my rooms full of dolls... I guess I rank at least the chapel title if not cathederal!

Linda and I had a short run this morning, but it was fun. Our day captain is such a neat lady and had a chance to chat with her a bit... she is so thrilled to have some of us younger people volunteering.
I don't feel like a younger!

I discovered a tasty cereal in the health food section..It is made by Health Valley...called Banana Gone Nuts...really tasty, crunchy and filling, 4 points for 3/4 cup with skim milk.

Must go clean up my pickle mess, and go look for the newest beanie babies! I know they were shipped last week.

~~~~~

JOYce